![]() government during the late-1960s Space Race with the Soviet Union. In 2010, its 50th anniversary year, Bulova released a special, limited-edition replica of the Spaceview with a modern movement.īulova also lent its expertise to the U.S. The Accutron has been the cornerstone of Bulova’s portfolio ever since. The first Accutron model, called Spaceview 214 and featuring its now-famous open dial showing off the high-tech movement, also deviated from traditional wristwatch design with its lack of setting stem and crown on the side of the watch these elements were instead placed on the back of the case. ![]() The Accutron was distinguished by its telltale humming instead of ticking, a sound generated by the vibrating tuning fork. The brainchild of Bulova engineer (and Basel native) Max Hetzel, this technology ensured an oscillation rate of 360 times per second - nearly 150 times faster than that of a mechanical, balance-wheel-driven timepiece - and guaranteed an accuracy to just one minute per month. Rolled out under worldwide scrutiny at the World’s Watchmaking Fair in Basel, Switzerland (now called Baselworld) in 1960, the watch incorporated a revolutionary new technology that utilized a 360-Herz tuning fork, powered by a one-transistor electronic oscillator, to drive the timekeeping functions rather than a traditional balance wheel. The 1960s saw Bulova’s most famous and influential contribution to the science of watchmaking - the Bulova Accutron, the world’s first fully electronic watch. This series was one of the first of many successful launches under the leadership of Omar Bradley, the decorated World War II general who had recently joined the Bulova company as Chairman of the Board of its Research and Development Laboratories. Bulova 23 watches were known for their “unbreakable” mainspring and shock-resistant, waterproof cases, which at the time were made entirely in the United States. The Bulova 23 series - named for its 23-jewel, self-winding movement - debuted in the 1950s and brought wide popularity to a Bulova invention first used in a watch in 1953: the mechanical “Wrist-Alarm,” a breakthrough in the industry that would later be adopted by other brands. The company also devoted 25 percent of its advertising to the promotion of war bonds and stamps, a service for which it was awarded a distinguished service certificate by the Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. As one of the few American watch companies, Bulova took its patriotic duty quite seriously: many of the company’s male employees joined the armed forces, leaving the Bulova factories of that time manned largely by women. The so-called Bulova “Hack” Watch was equipped with a special lock-down apparatus that allowed for precise synchronization, an asset in the planning of wartime missions. ![]() However, Bulova also provided the wristwatches that were issued as official gear for American troops. Many of these had little to do with timekeeping, including altimeters, variometers, telescopes for range-finding on artillery, and time fuses for explosives. In the early 1940s, with World War II threatening and American involvement in the conflict imminent, Bulova entered into a contract with the United States government to produce instruments that would aid the American war effort. Has 15-jewel reliable Bulova movement.” With Lindbergh touting the watch in advertisements as “my pleasure to wear, keeps accurate time and is a beauty,” the Lone Eagle became Bulova’s best-selling watch of the era. This accomplishment earned Lindbergh the Bulova Watch Prize of $1,000 and the opportunity to be the face of the company’s Lone Eagle wristwatch, which commemorated the record-setting flight. The original Lindbergh Lone Eagle, which was priced at $37.50, was described by Bulova as a “handsomely engraved 14-k white gold filled case with non-breakable crystal in back to protect the movement from dust. Here we look at 10 important timepieces from Bulova’s history and discover what they meant for the brand and for the watch industry as a whole.īulova had already become known for several watch-industry firsts - such as standardization of watch parts, launching the first full line of ladies’ watches, and airing the first radio commercial - by 1927, the year in which legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh became the first man to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. In this feature from our archives, we explore important watch milestones from Bulova over its 140-plus-year history.įounded in New York City in 1875 by Bohemian immigrant Joseph Bulova, the Bulova Watch Company has been responsible for numerous watch world milestones in its century-plus of existence and continues to innovate well into the 21st Century.
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